The Caribbean island, home to 9.6 million people and under a U.S. energy blockade since January, has suffered critically low energy supplies in recent days. According to data compiled by AFP, around 65 percent of Cuban territory experienced simultaneous blackouts on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy told state television that Cuban oil reserves had “run out.” After power outages affected seven of Cuba’s 15 provinces on Thursday, the national electricity company, UNE, announced on Friday that it had reconnected the power grid. Scheduled blackouts continued, however, and one of Cuba’s most important aging thermoelectric plants — which supports electricity generation — remained out of service following a breakdown. The latest outage sparked public frustration. A resident of San Miguel del Padrón, a neighborhood on the outskirts of Havana, told AFP that people protested on Wednesday evening by banging pots and pans. Several other small demonstrations were also reported in neighborhoods across the capital, according to accounts gathered by AFP. Havana blames United States sanctions and the longstanding embargo for its severe energy shortages, while the United States argues that the crisis stems from poor management. Relations between the two countries remain strained, with U.S. President Donald Trump imposing sanctions on Cuba and suggesting the possibility of taking greater control over the island. Despite ongoing tensions, intergovernmental talks between the two countries continue. (Bssnews)